


Beyond science

by Killermanatee



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Architects of Infinity, Beyer-verse, Established Relationship, Extended Scene, F/M, Romance, THAT scene obviously, Voyager relaunch novels, sex with feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-14 00:42:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14124423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killermanatee/pseuds/Killermanatee
Summary: "Architects of Infinity" features a beautiful moment between Kathryn and Chakotay. This is an extended version, told from his perspective.





	1. Lost

**Author's Note:**

> _"There are still plenty of human experiences that are beyond our science."_  
>  _"Name one."_  
>  _"Love."_  
>   
> 

After dinner, when Captain Farkas had returned to _Vesta_ and O’Donnell and Glenn had retired to their respective tents, Chakotay reminisced about the day. He kept his hands busy with the tent he would be sharing with Kathryn, letting his thoughts drift. Amidst the scientific discoveries and growing bond between his fellow captains and him, it was really Kathryn’s carefree smile, her excitement at exploring the unknown, and her lighthearted demeanor as she basked in the sunshine that stayed at the forefront of his mind.

Throughout the day she had seemed more like herself than she had in a while and spending time together had been effortless. He hoped it was a sign that they were moving beyond the trials of their recent past, learning to rebuild the trust that had once been so steadfast.

But then he recalled that she had seemed caught up in something after her short walk with O’Donnell. As he unfolded the sleeping bags, he contemplated, that while dinner had mostly been a success, maybe setting up camp this close to the others had not been his best idea. She would not feel comfortable confiding in him while being in hearing distance of O’Donnell and Glenn. Thankfully, he had planned ahead and found a secluded place to offer her. Perhaps it was possible to get some much needed private time after all.

He shouldered the bag he had brought with him in preparation and found Kathryn still sitting at the dinner table, staring out over the plateau. She had put on her uniform jacket again, now that the temperature had dropped, and he allowed himself to marvel at the sight of her in the faint light. She was perfectly still except for her loosened hair moving in the light breeze, caressing her profile. Even though she had been back in his life for almost a year, he still often found himself as he was now, captivated by the sight of her, marveling that she had returned to him.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, he asked, “Ready for bed?”

She looked up at him, taking a moment to study his face, and he wondered what was occupying her.

“I don’t think so.”

The reply made him optimistic that their night was still going to provide some of the intimacy he longed for and he smiled. “I was hoping you would say that.” He held out a hand and she put her cool fingers in his. “Would you care to take a walk?”

She nodded and let herself be pulled up from the chair. With their hands entwined between them, she followed his lead down the hill towards the trees.

“It seems you have a destination in mind,” she remarked.

Stroking his thumb lightly over hers, relishing the feel of her skin warming against his, he simply replied, “I do”. They walked in silence and the lack of sound served as a reminder of their strange surroundings. It made him think of the more familiar places he wanted to share with her once they returned to Earth.

After a few minutes, they arrived at the pool he had deemed the perfect spot and he knelt to confirm that the water was still as pleasant as it had been earlier. When he looked up, he saw wonder in her eyes and smiled.  “I remember well your fondness for baths. Will this do?”

She smiled in return. “It’s beautiful.”

While he pulled out the large towels he had brought with him and spread them out on the smooth rock, Kathryn took off her boots and socks, then made her way closer to the water.

When he could feel the rock under his bare feet, he walked up to her, wrapping himself around her, easily tucking her against his chest. She placed her hands on his arms, keeping him close and for a long moment they just stood together, breathing in sync.

Eventually he gently turned her around and her cheek was warm against the palm of his hand when he kissed her. There was no rush, for once nobody would need their attention, nothing would infringe on their privacy. So his tongue lightly traced her lips, sensing every small line of them and she opened herself to him, her movements just as unhurried.

Without a sense of urgency they simply cherished the chance to take their time, to feel each other, and it was easy to slide her jacket off her shoulders, to run his hands along her exposed abdomen and back, just as she did the same. When he kneeled to help rid her of her trousers and underwear, she leaned on his shoulders and then he took his time to place kisses on her thighs, up her hip, nuzzling his face against her soft belly. She slid her fingers into his hair, and he inhaled her scent, deeply appreciating the peaceful moment.  

When he stood, she took her turn, divesting him of his remaining clothes with certain hands, and the familiarity of the action settled soothingly inside of him. They didn’t need words as they walked into the water together, or when they enjoyed the clean warmth lapping against them.

Letting go of each other, Chakotay took a few long swimming strokes, then dived deep under the surface to savor this rare treat to its fullest. This was not the secluded spot he and Sekaya had frequented as adolescents, but it was similar enough to bring back potent memories of the serenity he always felt there. When he broke the surface again, he treaded water and watched Kathryn move like he had just done, her lean figure gliding gracefully through the pool. He went closer to the shore, found safe footing, just enough for the water to still reach his collar bones, and watched Kathryn as she made her way across the water’s surface, her fair skin almost glowing in the night. It was easy to believe this was all there was in the universe, just the two of them in complete tranquility.

When she swam closer, he reached for her, and as he pulled her sideways against himself, she comfortably slid into his embrace. She rested weightlessly in his arms and he held her close, tracing the lines of her legs, watching her face closely. There was something in her eyes he couldn’t quite place, but she held his gaze. Her lips parted when his caress reached the top of her thighs and he felt himself harden against her hip. The combination of her relaxed features, her skin against his and being somewhere so very removed from their usual lives, made for an arousing mixture. He bent to kiss her, this time with more intention and found her tongue welcoming his.

He slid his hand onto the curve of her bottom and was rewarded with a small moan against his mouth. She leaned back in his arms, the hardened peaks of her breasts breaking the water’s surface. Chakotay took her up on the offer, bending down to lap at her. His teeth lightly grazed her sensitive flesh, then he instantly soothed her with his tongue and another moan escaped her.

Her fingers at his nape held onto him more firmly, her nails biting his muscles as he traced the curve of her hip, down her belly and she parted her legs for him. Dipping into her folds, he found them slicker and hotter than the water. He studied her face, knowing every tremor that revealed when he’d found the perfect spot, every small twitch of her brow, curve of her lip, and when he saw what he was looking for, kept his fingers in place.

He had learned to tell the difference between the orgasms that shook her entire body, tearing loud cries from her, and those that washed over her in drawn out waves. Tonight, he was aiming for the latter, wanting to show her restraint at the beginning of what he hoped to be a very rewarding stay on the planet’s surface.

He moved his fingers in repeating small circles and as she leaned further back onto his arm, her head came to rest on the water’s surface. Her neck was stretched beautifully, her hair floating around them, breasts pushed out. Then her body tensed and he continued his motions, guiding her through her climax while his eyes remained fixed on her features. She was always beautiful, but when she fell apart in his arms, she was the pure essence of herself, utterly exposed and raw. It was the look that was reserved just for him and he craved this symbol of their intimacy.

When she sank against him, her muscles relaxing after her release, she placed a palm on his cheek, and looked at him for a long moment while her breathing slowed. He just held her still, not sure what she was searching for as her eyes roamed his face.

Finally, she leaned forward and their lips met in an almost timid kiss. He wanted to ask what was holding her back but then she turned enough to wrap her legs around him, bringing their hips together, and he could no longer think clearly. She rubbed herself against him, causing the water to lap at their bodies, and he ran his hands down her torso, needing to feel her closer, always closer.  

His hand slid between them, making sure she was ready for him, and when she groaned against his lips, her hot breath mixing with his, he shifted and she sank onto him. She stilled for a moment and he pulled back, watching her face change from hints of discomfort to pleasure and then she moved against him, raising and lowering her hips rhythmically, using his shoulders for support.

The water slowed their motions, keeping him tethering at the brink of climax while he guided her up and down. Her nails dug into his shoulders, her legs were tight at his waist but his release stayed just out of reach, taunting him.

He took a few steps back, his mind too overtaken with Kathryn all around him, not caring that he was scrambling ungracefully until he could sit in the shallow waters and they finally found the leverage they needed. She was still tightly pressed against him, wouldn’t let go while she rode him with increasing speed and force, guiding him to his orgasm as she played his body expertly. The water splashed around them, washing against their sensitive skin and increased the sensations even further. Then she tensed her muscles around him, ground her pelvis into his and with a guttural cry, stars exploded behind his eyes. 

When the fog cleared in his mind, he slipped out of her with a hiss, but kept her close. He moved them just enough so they could float in the water once more, feeling weightless, wanting to be blissfully lost in her for a little while longer.

 

 

 


	2. Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Patience and Faith"_   
> 

* * *

Much later, when Kathryn and Chakotay had emerged from the water and wrapped themselves in the waiting towels, they settled into easy silence, sitting close enough for their feet to be comfortably entwined. Kathryn seemed relaxed, as she reclined with closed eyes, taking deep breaths of the night air, and Chakotay wondered if her demeanor indicated that she would be willing to open up about what had been occupying her thoughts.

When she did just that, telling him of her uncertainty about their future, he was surprised that he had not anticipated the extent to which it worried her. To him, it was an irrefutable fact that they would make their path together. That he would be content no matter where that path led as long as he walked by her side, like he had always done. 

Maybe it had been presumptuous of him to expect her to be just as satisfied by that simplicity. He should have known that the difficulties they had faced, as well as the matter of marriage, would weigh much heavier on her mind than it did for him.  

So he tried his best to turn his thoughts into words. He wanted her to understand that after everything they had lived through together, he was determined to mend the trust between them and optimistic it could become a foundation to build on.

Finally he looked at her, hoping that his eyes conveyed the sincerity of his words.

“The deepest personal betrayals bear within them seeds of grace and forgiveness. I don’t care if we ever marry. For me, nothing can change the fact that your happiness is indistinguishable from mine.”

She didn’t reply to his declaration, instead studied him for a long moment and he held her gaze, allowing her to find what she was searching for. Then the corners of her mouth curved upward and when she reached for him, he willingly let himself be pulled on top of her.

The hunger of her kiss took his breath away. Her hands traveled up his arms, onto his shoulders, caressing him with warm strokes, massaging his muscles, and the knots in his stomach dissipated. She kissed him with her entire body, her legs wrapped around his, her chest pressed up against him and her tongue explored his mouth like she was doing so for the first time. She traced his teeth, outlined his lips, and sampled his tongue, ever the meticulous scientist.

When he had to come up for air, he found her smiling at him with plump lips, flushed cheeks and damp hair curling around her.

He didn’t think he could love her more.

Her nimble fingers moving between them shook him from his stupor. She tugged at the towels and he helped her to remove the fabric separating them, impatient to feel her again. When at last they were resting skin on skin, she pressed her hips against his, raising an eyebrow in challenge, bringing him instantly back to full arousal.

This was what he had waited for all night, the passionate woman he had been allowed to discover, who openly showed what she wanted. And her needs were evident enough by the rise and fall of her hips against his, by the heat radiating from her.

She pushed at his shoulders, rolling him onto his back to then kneel at his side. She kissed him again, pulling his bottom lip between her teeth and then she was nibbling at his jaw, down his neck while she rested one hand on his stomach, inching lower and lower.

His pulse sped up and his abdomen tensed at her movements. He placed one hand in her hair, the other on her ribcage, fingers gently following each dip and rise before finding her breasts. She hummed appreciatively as he took turns teasing her nipples, rolling and pinching them.

Her breath was hot against his neck, then lower, as her tongue made its path down his sternum, to his navel, drawing a circle around it. When her fingers reached the base of his erection he groaned and felt her grin against his stomach in reply. Resting her cheek on his stomach, she looked up, and gave him a lascivious smile as she closed her fist around his sensitive flesh, clearly and openly enjoying the way he lost control over his features. 

Her hand began to pump him slowly, her eyes still fixed on his face when she said, “Tell me what you want.”

The answer was easy.

“You.”

She pressed a kiss to his stomach at that, then turned to find his palm, kissing it as well. Her loving gesture made his insides flutter and when she moved even lower, engulfing him in her hot mouth, that flutter escaped as a guttural moan.

She slowly and deliberately moved her lips and tongue along his sensitive flesh and his hand traveled over her torso, down between her thighs and when he found her core, it was her turn to moan against him. But again, she was too far away, he needed her, all of her, and so he nudged her thighs to move closer. She gave him a curious, sidelong glance, but her lips didn’t stop their tantalizing caress.

“Please,” was all he needed to say for her to shift, so her knees were on either side of his head and she came to rest long his torso. Once she did, he was surrounded by her, his world consisting of nothing but Kathryn.

They played each other with intimate knowledge and experience, and Chakotay floated on the sensations running through him, from her tender ministrations of her mouth between his thighs, to the pleasure he was bringing her in turn.

When the low hum in her throat reverberated through him, it took all of his focus to temper the heat in his veins, to not allow himself to fall freely. Instead, his touch roamed her body, self-assured and knowing just how to bring her release, easy for him to tell by her increasingly erratic movements. Finally, she ground herself against his tongue. Her body tensed under his hands, and her mouth let go of him to allow a deeply satisfied groan to escape her lips. 

He let her down gently, slowing his caress and relishing in the aftershocks rippling along her lean muscles. When those tremors had subsided, she slowly eased herself next to him and came to rest on her back, still breathing heavily. He took the chance to marvel at her enticing nude body, fully and unabashedly on display.

She adjusted the towel underneath her and for a moment he wondered if indulging like this on the stone surface was going to cause regrets in the morning.  But then she looked over at him, whispered, “Come here” and his concerns faded.

He settled once more between her thighs and when they kissed, she sucked her own taste from him, taking her time to tease his lips. Eventually she pulled back to glance at him lovingly and he rubbed her nose with his, a short and gentle interlude to their lovemaking, before her foot rubbed up his calf, bringing his focus back to their need.

He took his time as he made his way down her body, grazing his teeth along her exposed neck, tracing the lines of her collarbones. He found each freckle on her chest, those secret spots only revealed to him, claiming them as his. Her hands were in his hair, holding him close, nails scraping over his scalp.

She stretched, pushing her breasts against him and turned his head to the hard peaks, which made him grin before he followed her demand. The resulting sounds coming from deep within her were unapologetic and confident evidence of her pleasure and sent sparks to his spine.

She pulled him up then, locking her eyes with his as her hand slid lower, between their bodies. The lust that unfolded on her features while she guided him to fill her, almost overwhelmed him.

He held still for a moment, letting her adjust to him once more but her hands traveled to his back, down to the buttocks and with a twinkle in her eyes she grabbed him firmly, pulling him close.

The rhythm he set was slow, allowing him to feel all of her, and her hands were everywhere in turn. She found the dip of his spine, followed it up to tug at his hair, cupped his cheek, and trailed her fingers over his lips. He sucked in one digit, and her eyes darkened as he ran his tongue over the delicate skin.

When she pulled him down for another searing kiss, he knew she was close again. Their mouths devoured each other, hungry, passionate, and her hips thrust up more forcefully, urging him to take his release.

Her inner muscles tensed around him, gripped him, and a shared groan fell from their open mouths. He plunged into her one last time to then become still, as they both reached their peaks, their bodies gripping each other.

After the pulsing subsided, his head fell to the curve of her neck, tasting her salty skin, basking in their shared serenity while she held him close.

They stayed like this, the galaxies around them forgotten, connected by their hearts beating in sync.  

**Author's Note:**

> I love, love, LOVE these books so much it hurts. For obvious reasons this scene needed a little bit more. I hope I did it justice.
> 
> Helen, thank you for telling me to write this before I even had the book and for the emotional support reading it required. ;)  
> Also, big thanks for the wonderful betaing. 
> 
> Klugtiger, you're very welcome for letting you beta this. :P 
> 
> Feedback is life.


End file.
